Malaysia’s 13th General Elections is expected to witness the emergence of organized independent candidates comprising desperados or dissident groups from the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties.

The questions are: who organizes them politically; what are their motives; and who are their financiers? Are being organized by several BN veterans who lately became critical of the BN and the government; are they out to sabotage the BN; and are they in collaboration with the Pakatan Rakyat?

On the contrary, are they being organized and financed by a truly neutral entity which aspires to do horse trading with the BN or the Pakatan should either side won the 13th GE with slim majority?

Independent candidates in the history of Malaysia’s GE were never organized or having a centralized funding. Instead, they were considered as disorganized opportunists who aimed at making quick bucks from whoever wanted to buy them over. Some of them, however, were being fielded as proxies to certain party insiders who were dissatisfied for not being chosen as candidates. In either case, independent candidates had no influence over the voting patterns in previous GEs. Instead, they fared badly to the extent of losing their deposits.

Hence, if the above speculation becomes a reality, the 13th GE will definitely experience three-cornered fights in most constituencies, causing uneasiness to the BN and Pakatan candidates seeking victory in their traditional seats.

The above could be true or otherwise. But the BN especially, must not consider it very lightly. It must mobilize its machinery to ascertain the truth of the matter. The BN may be the biggest loser if this possibility is unchecked.

Additionally, BN members, particularly BN veterans who have in mind to plan and execute such a strategy out of frustration or vengeance, must do soul searching as to why they must rock the boat. They have to rationalize whether such a move is in congruence with the national aspiration of having a strong and reliable government for the sake of all Malaysians.

The argument is such because a GE is a process whereby democratic rights are to be exercised with careful consideration on the security and well-being of the nation and its people. It is so because politics in a developing nation like Malaysia is a struggle towards protecting the survival of all.

Otherwise, Malaysia’s 13 GE is going to be the beginning of an end to a peaceful united nation being built since 1957. This is why a GE is not a power play. A GE in Malaysia is a process of making the right and prudent choice between security and insecurity. 
  
The conclusion is such because sovereignty of the country, wellbeing of the people and stability of the government are the most crucial pre-requisites to Malaysia’s survival.

*Datuk Ruhanie Ahmad is a former Member of Parliament for Parit Sulong (1990-2004). The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer.